Millennials Love Mail . . . But Why?

64% of Millennials would rather scan for useful information in the mail than email. 1

77% of Millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising.2

90% of Millennials think direct mail advertising is reliable. 3

87% of Millennials like receiving direct mail. 3

But why do Millennials like direct mail? And do they respond more to direct mail than other generations? These are important questions because, as of 2015, Millennials have become the largest demographic in the workforce, with very specific attitudes and needs. To craft mailings that work for this generation, we have to understand what motivates them differently than other generations. We don’t often see those questions addressed.
The answer to the second question—do Millennials respond differently to mail than other generations—is yes. According to the USPS “Mail moments: 2016 Review,” compared to other generations, Millennials are . . .

Millennials

Non-Millennials

More likely to scan their mail

71%

66%

Less likely to discard their mail without reading it

54%

59%

More likely to organize and sort their mail

45%

40%

More likely to take time to read their mail

36%

35%

More likely to show their mail to others

24%

19%

In addition, 57% have made purchases based on direct mail offers.4
Why is this? The answer may come from the Quad/Graphics study: novelty. According to the study, nearly half of Millennials ignore digital ads, while only 15% of Millennials ignore direct mail. Citing this data, the USPS observes, “Apparently, direct mail—which comes only once a day—has become a novelty to this audience.” 5
This is an important point. Millennials enjoy direct mail because, in their digitally engaged worlds, it’s different. It breaks the monotony.Not Just Any Old Direct Mail
This doesn’t mean that any old direct mail will do. Millennials are very clear about how they want brands to market to them, whether in print or in digital form. I’ve been watching the data on Millennials for some time now, and it boils down to authenticity, focus on the experience rather than merely on specs, and often some kind of socio-ethical tie-in, such as serving the disadvantaged or protecting the environment.

Help them feel that their purchase makes a difference in the world. “Campaigns that donate a percentage of profits to a worthy cause or in some other way demonstrate corporate responsibility can resonate if they are seen as authentic.”

Minimize slang, which can be seen as inauthentic. “Use slang with caution, even if you are Millennial yourself, or you risk turning off your audience.”

Take This Example for a Spin
The USPS gave the example of one real-life direct mail campaign for bicycles. The marketer took a current lifestyle trend—biking to work—and used it as the context for its campaign. The front of the mailer read, “Want to make your commute to work happier? Try trading in your car for a bike.” On the back, it read, “It’s true. Studies show that people who bike to work are the happiest of all commuters.”
This would appeal to Millennials on a lot of levels. It’s succinct. It’s direct and real. The value of the product is in the rider’s experience (the happiest of all commuters) rather than, say, the amount of money saved on gas.

On the back of the mailer, the marketer invites the recipient to go online to find out more, and “while you’re there, take our interactive quiz to find out how much you can reduce your carbon footprint by switching to bike commuting.” There’s the social responsibility tie-in.
This campaign has all of the elements of a great direct mail campaign with a high level of appeal to Millennials, and it’s very different from that for other buyers (focusing on benefits and quantitative savings, such as gas or commuting time).
Millennials offer a real bright spot in the world of direct mail, but they require a different marketing approach. So if you don’t currently have a “Millennial marketing” specialty, you might want to develop one.

5 Comments

Very worthy information. Some of us sometimes misunderstand millenials attitudes, and now they are key in our business, not only as buyers but in decision making as well. It seems that email has become now the “traditional marketing way”. Great post!

This data is great but as a millennial hard to believe. Our apartment trash bin is filled to the top every day with offer after offer.

Ask your millennial co-workers, family, friends, kids, etc. Have a real conversation with them. Again the data is great, but each brand is unique, so what works for Nike and Blue Apron, is not always going to work for your insurance or “lame” brand.

[…] and marketing methods, we would be turning away from mail, but studies show that direct mail is still popular with younger generations. I know my young children absolutely love getting the mail (and they […]

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